1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mechanical roping dummy for use in learning and practicing the skills of roping the hind legs of an animal, especially the hind legs of a steer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The roping of the hind legs of a live steer in a rodeo event or other roping contest requires the participant in the roping event to learn and develop roping skills through extensive practice.
The practice of roping skills on a live animal is not always practical because of the stress placed upon the animal with consequent loss of weight and possible injury which would depreciate the market value of the animal.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a mechanical roping dummy which simulates as closely as possible the movement of the hind legs of the animal so that a person wishing to learn and to practice roping skills may do so without producing wear and tear upon a live animal.
A variety of devices simulating animals, particularly calves and steers, for use in practice roping are disclosed in the prior art represented by the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,553 Kelton: Dec. 4, 1973 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,706 Hamm: Apr. 9, 1974 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,033 Bennett: Mar. 30, 1976 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,874 McCord: Jan. 30, 1979 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,779 English: May 12, 1981 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,788 Simington et al.: Sept. 1, 1981 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,045 Fesmire: May 29, 1984 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,515 Rhine: Feb. 3, 1987 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,642 Archibald et al.: May 5, 1987
Most of the prior art devices disclosed in the patents listed above are designed to traverse the ground either by pulling the front end of the device with a rope or by providing a motor or an engine to drive the device over the ground or other surface.
Devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,776,553, 3,947,033, 4,136,874 and 4,662,642 which require towing or pulling the device from the front end or head of the simulated animal require that someone other than the person engaged in the practice roping be involved.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,266,779 and 4,286,788 disclose the use of an elaborate system of ropes or cables for towing the device. In the case of the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,779, a rope is attached at one end to the front of the device, is passed around a plurality of pulleys and is connected at its other end to the saddle of a horse on which the participant is riding.
In the case of the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,788, a bicycle is moved along a rope stretched between two posts by a motor driven endless conveyor. The practice roping device is connected with the bicycle through a system of linkages and is caused to traverse a surface as the bicycle is propelled.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,451,045 and 4,640,515 each disclose a roping practice device which is mounted upon a stand which is intended to be stationary relative to the surface on which the stand is supported during the roping practice.
The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,515 requires that someone other than the person who is practicing roping skills be involved inorder to rope the head of the device and cause motion of the hind legs of the simulated animal.
The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,045 includes a pair of simulated hind legs which are supported by a rock shaft extending horizontally between bearings mounted on a horizontal frame of a support stand for oscillating motion fore and aft.
The present invention distinguishes from all of the devices mentioned above which require traversing motion of the device over a supporting surface in that it does not require travering movement of the device over a supporting surface. It distinguishes from the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,515 in that it does not require the active participation of anyone other than the person practicing his roping skill for operation of the device. It distinguishes from the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,045 in the type of motion involved as well as in significant structural features of the device.